


The Scribe

by Alcorin



Series: The Chimerical Grimoire [1]
Category: Flight Rising
Genre: Blood, Conversations, Gen, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Rumors, Secrets, They just talk, not much happens tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 15:50:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20028373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alcorin/pseuds/Alcorin
Summary: The Chimaera Research Facility hides many secrets. Rumors float around about strange and dangerous things hidden away in the many places it controls. Astraeus has one of those stories to share. Mint is not convinced.





	The Scribe

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I actually wrote something resembling a story for once... Well, a record of a conversation, really. Either way, I'm glad to finally have something to post on AO3... Hope you enjoy this little thing I made!

\- Have you ever heard of the Scribe?

Mint jerked her head up, suddenly snapped out of her boredom-induced numbness. Astraeus didn’t seem to notice; he was still swaying and twisting in place with his back turned to her, calling forth sparks and long lines of lightning in his apparently endless practice routine. His tone, too, was still as casual as ever. Mint furrowed her brows.  
\- The Scribe?  
\- Yeah - he did a half-turn, stomping heavily on the ground and extending his arm, causing another line of thunder to shoot out from his palm. - There’s this rumor going around the clan, about a dragon sleeping in a cavern underneath the Focal Point Residence. I thought you might’ve heard about it.  
\- I didn’t. - She said curtly, yet her interest was now piqued, and that was the one thing she could never disguise well. Astraeus must’ve picked up on it, because she could see his lips curling into a smile, even from behind. She really needed to work on her acting.  
\- Oh, I thought it might be something you’d like to know about… Well, basically, you know about the new place that the leadership acquired recently, right? At the Focal Point?  
\- Yes, yes, I’ve heard of that. That big new place on the main isle that they need for research or diplomacy, or something - she waved her paw dismissively, hoping Astraeus would just get to the point. - It’s not exactly a secret, you know?  
\- Well, technically not, if you don’t count the fact that almost no one has actually been there, or was even given the address - Astraeus smirked as Mint thinned her eyes. Still, she wasn’t convinced.  
\- Yeah, because they don’t want nosy lizards snooping around the place while they’re trying to work. If you could just go there it would be no different than working here, with everybody running around the place and stomping over Nightcatcher’s head.  
\- Weeeell… I guess you have a point - the Imperial scratched his neck, stopping his neverending spark-calling for the first time. Then he turned to Mint, finally facing her. - Still, it raises some eyebrows, you know? And the dragons that did go there say that there’s much more to it than just an extra lab and some living quarters.  
\- Dragons? Like who?  
\- Like… Nightcrawler. And Fizzy too. - The Guardian snorted at the first name, but the second one gave her a pause. Fizzy wasn’t known from spreading rumors or enjoying unfounded drama, though she wasn’t exactly the most reliable source of information either. After all, there was only so much that she could see while delivering messages back in forth, so even if she did notice something, she could easily have misinterpreted it or not get a good look, or just imagine it entirely, or…  
\- Mint? Are you listening? - Astraeus’s voice brought her back to Sornieth. She shook her head slightly.  
\- Yes, yes, sure. I was just thinking if Fizzy is really the most reliable source on whatever might be going on on the Focal Point… But go on. You mentioned a cavern before?  
\- Yup. A cavern. Right underneath the residence. - The Imperial lowered his voice and head, looking around to see if no one was listening in. Mint found this conspiratorial act amusing, but she too lowered her head, too curious to let go now. He continued in a hushed tone:  
\- You know that there’s a cavern underneath the Facility that’s off-limits to everyone but the staff, right? Well, it seems that the Residence has one as well, but bigger, and deeper, and even harder to get to. Nobody knows why that is, because the Residence is already a lab, so what would they have to hide underground now? Well… Some dragons say that it’s the Scribe.  
\- The Scribe is the thing they’re hiding? - Asked Mint, her brows deeply furrowed. Astraeus nodded enthusiastically. - But… Why? And who even is that “Scribe”?  
\- See, this is where it gets interesting - the Imperial shifted, giddy with excitement like was eight, not twenty-one - The Scribe is a dragon… Well, most likely. He looks like a Mirror, and he’s all blood-red: his hide, his wings, his claws and teeth… The only part of his body that is not red is his head, because he doesn’t really have one; it’s just a skull, with a plume of purple feathers, or perhaps thin, tattered skin, where his skin-horns should be. He has no eyes either, there’s just blackness in the holes where they should be. Blood is always seeping from behind this skull of his, where the flesh begins; he’s been that way ever since they tried to… - he trailed off, his gaze going cloudy for a moment, then he snapped back to alertness and continued - well, I’ll spare you this… Besides, that one’s mostly speculation anyway… Either way, he is sleeping in a chamber of the cavern right underneath the Residence, in a pool of his own blood. But even though he is asleep, he is also alert: he sees all, he hears all, and he knows all that the hearts of dragons desire. He keeps a scroll in his talons that has all the wishes of the dragons that have gotten close to him written on it, and he continues to write on more in his slumber, using his own claw as a quill and his blood as ink. His finger moves slowly across the parchment, filling the cave with the sound of scratching at all times… One can get close to him and read what he had written on the scroll, but if he ever awakens, he will kill any dragon he sees on the spot.

With his story finished, Astraeus pulled out, eagerly awaiting Mint’s reaction. She kept silent for a while, thinking over the revelations she was just told. Finally…  
\- ...Gross. - She grunted, her nose twitching. - Gross and suspiciously detailed. Who told you all this?  
Astraeus cleared his throat, then looked away.  
\- ...Nightcrawler. - he whispered at last, and the Guardian let out a deep sigh. Of course. Of course it would be him…  
\- All right, great. Then we know that it’s all bullshit. Good. Good to know.  
\- In his defense, he’s really sneaky! He could’ve gotten into the cave while there weren’t many dragons around… - retorted the Imperial, with confidence unbefitting someone defending the words of a well-known silver-tongued thief. Mint just sighed again.  
\- Astraeus, Nightcrawler is good at telling tales, I agree, but ninety percent of the stuff that leaves his mouth is basically nonsense…  
\- Well, yes, I know - he was not backing off, which Mint thought was at least strange. - But, if Nightcrawler is lying, then why was Stargazer talking about the Scribe too?  
\- Stargazer? - she froze. Stargazer was the one mystery that she was trying to solve ever since she has arrived at the clan, and which continuously eluded her. What on Sornieth could he have to do with this crazy rumor…?  
\- Yeah, him. - Astraeus nodded. - I’ve heard him talking to Akui the other day. He said that he’s going to leave for a while because he needs the “blood of the Scribe”... What else could that mean, huh?  
\- Stargazer says a lot of weird things - said Mint slowly and carefully - perhaps Nightcrawler heard that as well and this inspired the story?  
\- But I heard him say that AFTER Nightcrawler told me all this stuff already - Astraeus swiped his tail on the ground to and fro, clearly excited about the prospect of the mysterious story being at least partially true. - So unless he was speaking of the “blood of the Scribe” before that, there’s no way that this would’ve affected Nightcrawler!  
\- Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps Stargazer meant something completely different altogether. - murmured Mint, her eyes closed, as she sunk deeper and deeper into thought.

Stargazer… The eccentric dragon always speaking in riddles and metaphors, hiding his true thoughts under a gentle smile and a carefree laugh… His gaze shifting from warm and playful to cold and penetrative in a split second out of nowhere… His secretive behavior driving him to live away from the clan entirely and to be fiercely protective of his secrets… Could the Scribe be one of those…? Was it all a tell-tale of a witty thief trying to get out of trouble, or was there actually something to that outrageous story?

She opened her eyes. Astraeus has already gotten back to his magical drill, and the day continued on, like nothing ever happened. She looked up into the sky. The Chimaera held so many secrets, and although she would never breach the trust that the clan leader bestowed her with, she was always an investigative soul. Perhaps one day she would understand. Perhaps she would actually be told the truth…

...Or perhaps she would have to find it on her own.

**Author's Note:**

> Before you ask: yes, this is really the lore I wrote for my wishlist-keeping dragon... Because we can't have nice things here at the Chimaera. He wasn't even supposed to exist in-lore... Oh well. I hope you liked it, please give me whatever feedback you may have, I would seriously appreciate it! <3


End file.
